mp.godfather-第53节

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ligible　for　Army　draft；　excused　from　fighting　in　the　foreign　war。　He　did　this　with　the　aid　of　doctors。　who　advised　what　drugs　had　to　be　taken　before　physical　examination；　or　by　placing　the　men　in　draft…exempt　positions　in　the　war　industries。
　
　And　so　the　Don　could　take　pride　in　his　rule。　His　world　was　safe　for　those　who　had　sworn　loyalty　to　him；　other　men　who　believed　in　law　and　order　were　dying　by　the　millions。　The　only　fly　in　the　ointment　was　that　his　own　son；　Michael　Corleone；　refused　to　be　helped；　insisted　on　volunteering　to　serve　his　own　country。　And　to　the　Don's　astonishment；　so　did　a　few　of　his　other　young　men　in　the　organization。　One　of　the　men；　trying　to　explain　this　to　his　caporegime；　said；　〃This　country　has　been　good　to　me。〃　Upon　this　story　being　relayed　to　the　Don　he　said　angrily　to　the　caporegime；　〃I　have　been　good　to　him。〃　It　might　have　gone　badly　for　these　people　but；　as　he　had　excused　his　son　Michael；　so　must　he　excuse　other　young　men　who　so　misunderstood　their　duty　to　their　Don　and　to　themselves。
　
　At　the　end　of　World　War　II　Don　Corleone　knew　that　again　his　world　would　have　to　change　its　ways；　that　it　would　have　to　fit　itself　more　snugly　into　the　ways　of　the　other；　larger　world。　He　believed　he　could　do　this　with　no　loss　of　profit。
　
　There　was　reason　for　this　belief　in　his　own　experience。　What　had　put　him　on　the　right　track　were　two　personal　affairs。　Early　in　his　career　the　then…young　Nazorine；　only　a　baker's　helper　planning　to　get　married；　had　e　to　him　for　assistance。　He　and　his　future　bride；　a　good　Italian　girl；　had　saved　their　money　and　had　paid　the　enormous　sum　of　three　hundred　dollars　to　a　wholesaler　of　furniture　remended　to　them。　This　wholesaler　had　let　them　pick　out　everything　they　wanted　to　furnish　their　tenement　apartment。　A　fine　sturdy　bedroom　set　with　two　bureaus　and　lamps。　Also　the　living　room　set　of　heavy　stuffed　sofa　and　stuffed　armchairs；　all　covered　with　rich　gold…threaded　fabric。　Nazorine　and　his　fiancée　had　spent　a　happy　day　picking　out　what　they　wanted　from　the　huge　warehouse　crowded　with　furniture。　The　wholesaler　took　their　money；　their　three　hundred　dollars　wrung　from　the　sweat　of　their　blood；　and　pocketed　it　and　promised　the　furniture　to　be　delivered　within　the　week　to　the　already　rented　flat。
　
　The　very　next　week　however；　the　firm　had　gone　into　bankruptcy。　The　great　warehouse　stocked　with　furniture　had　been　sealed　shut　and　attached　for　payment　of　creditors。　The　wholesaler　had　disappeared　to　give　other　creditors　time　to　unleash　their　anger　on　the　empty　air。　Nazorine；　one　of　these；　went　to　his　lawyer；　who　told　him　nothing　could　be　done　until　the　case　was　settled　in　court　and　all　creditors　satisfied。　This　might　take　three　years　and　Nazorine　would　be　lucky　to　get　back　ten　cents　on　the　dollar。
　
　Vito　Corleone　listened　to　this　story　with　amused　disbelief。　It　was　not　possible　that　the　law　could　allow　such　thievery。　The　wholesaler　owned　his　own　palatial　home；　an　estate　in　Long　Island；　a　luxurious　automobile；　and　was　seeding　his　children　to　college。　How　could　he　keep　the　three　hundred　dollars　of　the　poor　baker　Nazorine　and　not　give　him　the　furniture　he　had　paid　for？　But；　to　make　sure；　Vito　Corleone　had　Genco　Abbandando　check　it　out　with　the　lawyers　who　represented　the　Genco　Pura　pany。
　
　They　verified　the　story　of　Nazorine。　The　wholesaler　had　all　his　personal　wealth　in　his　wife's　name。　His　furniture　business　was　incorporated　and　he　was　not　personally　liable。　True；　he　had　shown　bad　faith　by　taking　the　money　of　Nazorine　when　he　knew　he　was　going　to　file　bankruptcy　but　this　was　a　mon　practice。　Under　law　there　was　nothing　to　be　done。
　
　Of　course　the　matter　was　easily　adjusted。　Don　Corleone　sent　his　Consigliere；　Genco　Abbandando；　to　speak　to　the　wholesaler；　and　as　was　to　be　expected；　that　wide…awake　businessman　caught　the　drift　immediately　and　arranged　for　Nazorine　to　get　his　furniture。　But　it　was　an　interesting　lesson　for　the　young　Vito　Corleone。
　
　The　second　incident　had　more　far…reaching　repercussions。　In　1939；　Don　Corleone　had　decided　to　move　his　family　out　of　the　city。　Like　any　other　parent　he　wanted　his　children　to　go　to　better　schools　and　mix　with　better　panions。　For　his　own　personal　reasons　he　wanted　the　anonymity　of　suburban　life　where　his　reputation　was　not　known。　He　bought　the　mall　property　in　Long　Beach；　which　at　that　time　had　only　four　newly　built　houses　but　with　plenty　of　room　for　more。　Sonny　was　formally　engaged　to　Sandra　and　would　soon　marry；　one　of　the　houses　would　be　for　him。　One　of　the　houses　was　for　the　Don。　Another　was　for　Genco　Abbandando　and　his　family。　The　other　was　kept　vacant　at　the　time。
　
　A　week　after　the　mall　was　occupied；　a　group　of　three　workmen　came　in　all　innocence　with　their　truck。　They　claimed　to　be　furnace　inspectors　for　the　town　of　Long　Beach。　One　of　the　Don's　young　bodyguards　let　the　men　in　and　led　them　to　the　furnace　in　the　basement。　The　Don；　his　wife　and　Sonny　were　in　the　garden　taking　their　ease　and　enjoying　the　salty　sea　air。
　
　Much　to　the　Don's　annoyance　he　was　summoned　into　the　house　by　his　bodyguard。　The　three　workmen；　all　big　burly　fellows；　were　grouped　around　the　furnace。　They　had　taken　it　apart；　it　was　strewn　around　the　cement　basement　floor。　Their　leader；　an　authoritative　man；　said　to　the　Don　in　a　gruff　voice；　〃Your　furnace　is　in　lousy　shape。　If　you　want　us　to　fix　it　and　put　it　together　again；　it'll　cost　you　one　hundred　fifty　dollars　for　labor　and　parts　and　then　we'll　pass　you　for　county　inspection。〃　He　took　out　a　red　paper　label。　〃We　stamp　this　seal　on　it；　see；　then　nobody　from　the　county　bothers　you　again。〃
　
　The　Don　was　amused。　It　had　been　a　boring；　quiet　week　in　which　he　had　had　to　neglect　his　business　to　take　care　of　such　family　details　moving　to　a　new　house　entailed。　In　more　broken　English　than　his　usual　slight　accent　he　asked；　〃If　I　don't　pay　you；　what　happens　to　my　furnace？〃
　
　The　leader　of　the　three　men　shrugged。　〃We　just　leave　the　furnace　the　way　it　is　now。〃　He　gestured　at　the　metal　parts　strewn　over　the　floor。
　
　The　Don　said　meekly；　〃Wait；　I'll　get　you　your　money。〃　Then　he　went　out　into　the　garden　and　said　to　Sonny；　〃Listen；　there's　some　men　working　on　the　furnace；　I　don't　understand　what　they　want。　Go　in　and　take　care　of　the　matter。〃　It　was　not　simply　a　joke；　he　was　considering　making　his　son　his　underboss。　This　was　one　of　the　tests　a　business　executive　had　to　pass。
　
　Sonny's　solution　did　not　altogether　please　his　father。　It　was　too　direct；　too　lacking　in　Sicilian　subtleness。　He　was　the　Club；　not　the　Rapier。　For　as　soon　as　Sonny　heard　the　leader's　demand　he　held　the　three　men　at　gunpoint　and　had　them　thoroughly　bastinadoed　by　the　bodyguards。　Then　he　made　them　put　the　furnace　together　again　and　tidy　up　the　basement。　He　searched　them　and　found　that　they　actually　were　employed　by　a　house…improvement　firm　with　headquarters　in　Suffolk　County。　He　learned　the　name　of　the　man　who　owned　the　firm。　Then　he　kicked　the　three　men　to　their　truck。　〃Don't　let　me　see　you　in　Long　Beach　again；〃　he　told　them。　〃I'll　have　your　balls　hanging　from　your　ears。〃
　
　It　was　typical　of　the　young　Santino；　before　he　became　older　and　crueler；　that　he　extended　his　protection　to　the　munity　he　lived　in。　Sonny　paid　a　personal　call　to　the　home…improvement　firm　owner　and　told　him　not　to　send　any　of　his　men　into　the　Long　Beach　area　ever　again。　As　soon　as　the　Corleone　Family　set　up　their　usual　business　liaison　with　the　local　police　force　they　were　informed　of　all　such　plaints　and　all　crimes　by　professional　criminals。　In　less　than　a　year　Long　Beach　became　the　most　crime…free　town　of　its　size　in　the　United　States。　Professional　stickup　artists　and　strong…arms　received　one　warning　not　to　ply　their　trade　in　the　town。　They　were　allowed　one　offense。　When　they　mitted　a　second　they　simply　disappeared。　The　flimflam　home…improvement　gyp　artists；　the　door…to…door　con　men　were　politely　warned　that　they　were　not　wele　in　Long　Beach。　Those　confident　con　men　who　disregarded　the　warning　were　beaten　within　an　inch　of　their　lives。　Resident　young　punks　who　had　no　respect　for　law　and　proper　authority　were　advised　in　the　most　fatherly　fashion　to　run　away　from　home。　Long　Beach　became　a　model　city。
　
　What　impressed　the　Don　was　the　legal　validity　of　these　sales　swindles。　Clearly　there　was　a　place　for　a　man　of　his　talents　in　that　other　world　which　had　been　closed　to　him　as　an　honest　youth。　He　took　appropriate　steps　to　enter　that　world。
　
　And　so　he　lived　happily　on　the　mall　in　Long　Beach；　consolidating　and　enlarging　his　empire；　until　after　the　war　was　over；　the　Turk　Sollozzo　broke　the　peace　and　plunged　the　Don's　world　into　its　own　war；　and　brought　him　to　his　hospital　bed。
　
　Book　four
　
　Chapter　15
　
　In　the　New　Hampshire　village；　every　foreign　phenomenon　was　properly　noticed　by　housewives　peering　from　windows；　storekeepers　lounging　behind　their　doors。　And　so　when　the　black　automobile　bearing　New　York　license　plates　stopped　in　front　of　the　Adams'　home；　every　citizen　knew　about　it　in　a　matter　of　minutes。
　
　Kay　Adams；　really　a　small…town　girl　despite　her　college　education；　was　also　peering　from　her　bedroom　window。　She　had　been　studying　for　her　exams　and　preparing　to　go　downstairs　for　lunch　when　she　spotted　the　car　ing　up　the